Key Difference: Warranty is a document that is issued to protect a consumers’ right. The warranty is basically a promise ensuring the customer specific conditions, facts, or products are true. A guarantee is a document that also protects the right of a consumer. A guarantee promises that something that is sold is of the quality that is promised.

Warranty and guarantee are two words that people come across when purchasing new products. These documents protect the customer’s right as they offer solutions incase the product purchased is faulty or defected. When purchasing products, consumers are promised many things by the seller; however, if the purchased product turns to defected, the users ends up wasting all their money. This is where a warranty and a guarantee helps; it ensures that the product is fixed or replaced. These two terms are confusing for many people as sometimes products offer a warranty, while other time it only comes with a guarantee. These are two different documents and mean different things.

Warranty is a document that is issued to protect a consumers’ right. The warranty is basically a promise ensuring the customer specific conditions, facts, or products are true. This document is a legally binding contract that is similar to an insurance policy. The document usually requires a fee for purchasing it and ensures that the device is covered for repairs or replacement of defected parts. The warranty can be sold from the company as well as the seller. Warranties are usually longer and are more prominent in sale of automobiles and real estate. Warranties mostly cover the repairing of the product and incase it cannot be replaced, the product may be replaced.  Warranties are limited but can be extended with extra money. Many warranties are available for free but they could be limited to 12 months. Many companies provide the option of extending the warranty by paying a little extra in cash.

Merriam Webster defines ‘warranty’ as:

• A usually written guarantee of the integrity of a product and of the maker's responsibility for the repair or replacement of defective parts.

A guarantee is a document that also protects the right of a consumer. A guarantee promises that something that is sold is of the quality that is promised. In case, the product does not work properly or is faulty, the company or the seller will fix it or replace it for no cost. Guarantees are usually free and come for a fixed amount of time, i.e. 6 months, 2 years, etc. Some guarantees can also be life time, but these are usually life time of the product and not the user. There also complete satisfaction guarantee that states if the user is not satisfied with the products, they would return the consumer’s money. A guarantee may require a person to fill out a registration card or provide the guarantee card in order to get the promised service.

Dictionary.com defines ‘guarantee’ as:

• A promise or assurance, especially one in writing, that something is of specified quality, content, benefit, etc., or that it will perform satisfactorily for a given length of time.
• Something that assures a particular outcome or condition.
• To undertake to ensure for another, as rights or possessions.

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